Can China rise to the challenge made by U.S. presidential aspirant Donald Trump to make North Korean leader Kim Jong Un disappear? Or would the dictator be faster than people or countries that wish him to vanish from the face of the earth as swift as the young leader had one of his top military chiefs executed?
Trump’s challenge, made on “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday, was followed by the observation the following day by a South Korean legislator of the sudden disappearance of Army General Ri Yong-Gil from important functions.
The alleged killing of the general is part of Kim’s efforts to tighten his hold on power, noted Associated Press. Having people close to him executed, after all, is nothing new to Kim who previously had his uncle executed. But an unidentified South Korean official said that Ri was charged with abuse of power and establishing a group that is suspected of planning to undermine Kim’s rule.
Ri was conspicuously absent from the gathering of senior officials of the ruling Workers’ Party and a rally to observe North Korea’s rocket launch this week.
Trump’s order was in response to a question at the TV talk show how to address the nuclear threat posed by Pyongyang and amid confirmation from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper the previous day at a congressional hearing that the top threat to the United States now is North Korea’s nuclear capability.
While Trump said that he is aware of Kim’s power and capability, he believes that China has control over North Korea, while Washington could control Beijing, reported Politico. “They should make that problem disappear. China is sucking us dry. They’re taking our money. They’re doing so much. We have rebuilt China with what they have taken out,” Trump said.
However, China has not responded yet to Trump’s challenge, and experts believe Beijing won’t even bother to reply.